Hussman, David John Age 56 of Mpls. passed away August 18, 2018. David attended Hopkins schools, graduating from Eisenhower High School. He excelled in track and field and was an All Conference and All State soccer player. David started taking guitar lessons at age 15, concerned that he might be too old to begin this venture. This was a beginning that culminated in his persona as Nicci Wikked in the popular Minneapolis 80's heavy metal band, Slave Raider. David received his BA degree from Metro State University with honors in the College of Professional and Community Studies and began his professional life in the world of computer software. Self described as a software anthropologist; David went on to create a series of successful careers, all connected by his love of exploring possibilities, building community and how bits of life are interconnected. In the early 2000's, David founded DevJam, a software consulting company in Minneapolis. He was a master at bringing people together over critical thinking and problem solving. His colleagues recently described David as a thundering catalyst and pioneer for the agile community. David was a prolific speaker and community builder within the agile and broader software industry. The vibrant twin cities agile and product development community were shaped and nurtured by David and will be a lasting legacy. He was known as a "can't miss" keynote speaker due to his authentic, pragmatic and engaging speaking style and his ability to convey real word examples and personal experiences. David truly left his mark all around the world through coaching, consulting and speaking. Above all else his humanity and ability to connect with people allowed him to successfully work with people whether they were technical developers or executives at the largest corporations. One of David's key traits was that he didn't take himself too seriously but took helping others with the utmost seriousness. David was all of this. To his family, he was our David, our love, our papa, and our DD; goofy, fun loving, adventurous, generous and kind hearted. David was a loving and caring son who had a cherished relationship of mutuality with his mother, Elayne. He shared a deep and loving partnership with his wife Andie. Together they created Studio 2 Café, a café that provides a space of connection and community in their SW Minneapolis neighborhood. Knowing that he was worried his daughters would forget him, Sage and Amalie wrote him a beautiful letter assuring him of their love. It contained 100 memories of time they spent together, words of his to live by, and could've continued for pages. His beautifully irreverent humor, thoughtfulness, metaphors, drive, and compassion will continue in them forever. He lives on in our hearts. David's journey with cancer was made with integrity, purpose and gratitude. He was determined to die well and he did, sharing time with family and friends. Even in death, he was still teaching us how to love, how to die, and how to say yes to life. Our loss is as big as his bounding spirit. David is preceded in death by his father, George Henry Hussman; survived by his wife of 20 years, Andrien (Andie) Thomas; daughters, Sage Coy and Amalie Thomas; mother, Elayne Lipp; siblings, Jeff Hussman (Kim) and Cathy Hussman; and a multitude of nieces, nephews and friends. A celebration of David's life will be held this coming Saturday, August 25, at 2p.m. at First Unitarian Universalist Church in Minneapolis located at 3400 Dupont Avenue South. An open house reception will follow at Studio 2 Café, 818 West 46th Street, Minneapolis. Memorials preferred to: Leonardo's Basement, 150 West 60th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55419 Mano a Mano International Partners, manoamano.org/donate/ The Jimmy Fund for cancer research at Dana - Faber Cancer Institute, jimmyfund.org/ Special thanks to Little Hospice for the loving care they provided to David and his family.

Published on August 22, 2018